GRATEFUL and RESPONSIBLE

December 13, 2014

""You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name."" (Psalm 61:4)

Yesterday, December 12, 2014, my father went to be with Christ. The last 24 hours have been blessed and busy, but this morning I did, as is my custom by God’s grace, what I watched my father do almost every morning I can remember. He rose early to seek the Lord through the Word and prayer. As I read this morning, this was the first passage I saw. And my heart is warmed by the Lord of truth once again.

GRATEFUL

Many people, indeed most, do not have the “inheritance of those who fear” God’s name. I am one that has the rich background of deep followers of Christ back many generations.

A third-generation pastor, I was given by my grandfather(s) and father and their wives a rich heritage of biblical truth and spiritual living. To my ancestors, faith was not an idea or a theological thought, but a vibrant reality.

They taught me about Jesus, but they also adored Jesus, worshiped Jesus, followed Jesus, and lived to tell others about Jesus. Because of this, I loved Christ early. The seedbed for faith was planted and cultivated in my home and when the Spirit chose to bring faith to light in my heart—to trust Him as my personal Lord and Savior—I was more than ready.

Jesus, to my parents, was Someone to know, not merely to know about...and that made all the difference.

RESPONSIBLE

If I do not want this rich blessing to be short-lived, I must continue. I must so live and love Christ that I impart to my children and grandchildren the ""inheritance of those who fear Your name.""

I don't have to be brilliant to do this (thank the Lord!) nor unusually gifted. No new and improved methods are needed to pass this along to my family. And I don’t have to—in fact couldn’t be—perfect at this task. I just need to follow the pattern I've witnessed, empowered by God’s grace.

I must love Jesus and follow Him. I must rise early and seek Him. I must intentionally invite the Spirit of God to invade every room of my heart and gladly give Him my body, my resources and my time for His use. He will do the rest.

I must realize with humility that I am only one link in the chain, but with urgency understand I am an important link bridging past saints to future disciples.

And one day perhaps, as my children and grandchildren pause for a moment at my homecoming, their hearts will be filled with gratitude and responsibility too…and the legacy can live on.

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